


I Need You More Than Ever

by kl125



Series: Need [2]
Category: All Elite Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Drifting Apart, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Monday Night Messiah, Pandemic - Freeform, Reunions, The Tribal Chief, the shield - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:26:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kl125/pseuds/kl125
Summary: A lot can happen in a year's time, but none of The Shield could have imagined just how far their paths would have diverged in that time.  Seth and Jon are struggling to hold onto the long distance relationship they've let fall to the wayside as Roman attempts to find himself after another long break from the ring.
Relationships: Dean Ambrose | Jon Moxley/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black
Series: Need [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967146
Comments: 37
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

A year and five months. A year and five months since Jon Moxley's name exploded back onto the wrestling canvas, since Dean Ambrose's name had been laid to rest everywhere except in the bedroom he shared with his lover and the occasional moments he spent with his best friend. 

When he'd released that video he'd already been making plans to traverse the independent wrestling scene with his former persona, but he'd never imagined that just over a year later he'd be on top of the scene with the AEW Championship displayed proudly on his shoulder while also remaining the NJPW champion.

By all rights, he should be ecstatic, but there was a constant feeling of dread sitting on his shoulders these days and he wasn't sure how he was ever going to get rid of it. 

When he'd first had the AEW belt placed in his hands back in February, he never could have imagined how crazy the world was going to get just a month later and he just wished he could go back in time and savor the feeling; could go back to that evening when he'd returned to his hotel room to find Seth and Roman waiting for him, ready to celebrate his win.

Shaking himself, he scowled as he tried to get his head back into the game. He had a feud with Darby Allin to continue and a battle with Chris Dickinson at Bloodsport to prepare for. He didn't need any distractions.

...

Seth smirked knowingly as Stephanie announced that he was Smackdown's second draft pick, aware that the cameras would soon be all over him and sure enough, a mic was being thrust into his face for an interview.

He boasted his way through it before slinking to the back to continue to watch some of the matches, scoping out the Friday night talent.

Thus, he was immediately aware when the Mysterio family were traded to Smackdown as well, making him roll his eyes and punch the wall.

With a sigh, he made his way out of the arena, leaning his head against the steering wheel of his car as he struggled to get his breathing under control.

It was just under a year ago that the Monday Night Messiah had been born and as time went on, the righteous anger and cockiness that had led to the change had turned into a sense of uneasiness and a feeling of being uncomfortable in his own skin.

Don't get him wrong, he still believed that the WWE audience had screwed him over and that they and everyone backstage needed some guidance, but he just wasn't sure he was up to the task anymore.

Every time he performed another heinous act or spoke another cocksure word, he felt another piece of himself die inside and even though he'd told himself that it would all be worth it in the end, he was beginning to think he'd been wrong all along. 

Nothing had turned out the way he'd planned. The fans were still booing him, Buddy had turned into a lovesick pup and neither Rey Mysterio and his family or Aleister Black seemed to fear or respect him in any way. 

He was tired; tired of everyone and everything and the world in general. Well, that wasn't exactly true. There was one person he could stomach right now, but he wasn't even sure he'd be welcomed in his presence any time soon.

...

Much like every aspect of the world, the pandemic had thrown the wrestling world into a frenzy of panic and chaos as it struggled to find its footing and navigate the new restrictions and fears.

For months, Roman had sat at home watching it all unfold in disbelief. He'd spent so long fighting his way back through his illness to return to the ring only to have to decide between his passion and his own health and that of his family.

In the end, there had been no real choice as he'd given up his Wrestlemania spot and his chance to regain the belt he'd never really lost in the first place.

He'd also been forced to watch as his name was dragged through the mud and the fans continued to put down his wrestling skills and persona.

He'd seethed quietly, anger building up over time until it exploded all at once as he returned to take out both Braun and The Fiend, reminding everyone whose yard this really was.

He'd never imagined that he'd do it all with Paul Heyman by his side, but the man had been a constant staple around his family as he grew up and the man knew their dynasty inside and out and most importantly, he understood just how much being the top of the mountain meant not only to Roman, but the Samoan dynasty in general.

He hadn't shared his plans with anyone outside of his wife and father, determined to take everything back on his own terms. 

He knew that if there was anyone out there who could understand his frustration and need to prove himself, it was Seth and Dean...Jon, he'd never get used to calling him that, but even as he watched his best friend scratch and claw his way to the top at AEW and Seth preach his way around Monday Night RAW as he attempted to blind half the roster, there was still a part of Roman that was ashamed and unsure of his own aspirations and he didn't want to see the knowing looks from his former partners.

So he'd made his return and let Paul speak on his behalf. He did what he'd promised and took out both Strowman and Wyatt to regain his belt and then he'd demolished his own cousin at Clash of Champions.

He'd grown up with Jey and Jimmy and they were more like brothers than simple cousins, but he couldn't let that stand in his way of remaining king of the mountain. He was the Tribal Chief and soon everyone would know it! 

Thus, he found himself challenging Jey to a "I Quit Match" at Hell In a Cell, both of them knowing there was no turning back after this. One way or another, one of them was going to be humiliated afterwards and Roman already knew just who that would be.

He half listened as Paul rambled on in back, telling him everything he wanted to hear about his enormous talents and the damage he was going to cause, but as soon as he could, he was bursting out of the backstage door, determined to have a moment to himself to gather his thoughts and push down the sick feeling sitting in the bottom of his stomach.

Leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed, he took a deep breath to compose himself before shaking himself and moving to head to his car.

As he began to move across the lot, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the car in front of him baring the silhouette of a clearly distraught Seth.

As if feeling his stare, Seth looked up, their eyes locking as they wordlessly assessed the other one.

Coming to a decision, Seth rolled his window down as Roman shared, "I guess congrats are in order. I hear we'll be getting your guidance on Friday's."

Seth shrugged, "Guess so. I guess I should be the one offering congratulations. I meant to reach out when you won the belt, but I wasn't sure if it would be welcome or not."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Roman's stare pierced him.

Again Seth shrugged, "The fact that I haven't heard from you in months, that D and I had to find out with the rest of the world that you'd returned. Kind of got the opinion that you'd left us little people behind."

Roman looked at him in disbelief, "I didn't exactly see you reaching out while I was off. You seemed pretty preoccupied. When was the last time you even spoke to De...Jon?"

Seth glared at him, "That's none of your business!" he snapped.

Roman threw his head back to laugh bitterly, "That's what I thought. Listen, welcome to Friday's and I guess I'll see you around," he moved to leave, only pausing when Seth's broken voice stopped him.

"Ro, wait. Do, do you think this is all worth It?"

"What?" Roman asked without turning back around.

"What your doing? This drive to prove yourself. Is it worth it?"

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Roman returned.

"Guess we will," Seth murmured.

Roman began to walk away again before he sighed and whirled back around, stalking his way back over to the car and his friend, "Has it been worth it for you? Is anything any better than it was last year? Do you have any regrets?" he asked earnestly.

Sensing his sincerity and the real drive behind the question, Seth answered honestly, "I don't know. I thought it was at first, but I'm not so sure now. Just, just be careful brother."

Nodding, Roman acknowledged his underlying words before deciding he had his own piece of advice to share, "You should call him, you know? I get that the forced time apart hasn't made things easy, but you're the first thing he asks about whenever we talk."

Seth sighed, "I don't want to hold him back. He deserves better than me."

"That was the same thing he was saying about you last year; just think about it," he shared, ready to actually make his departure this time, but once again, before he could step away, Seth was reaching out the window, his hand gripping onto his forearm.

"You know," he began, "A tribal chief and a messiah could cause a lot of damage together."

Roman tilted his head as he quipped, "They could also destroy one another."

Seth's eyes sparkled in amusement, "That they could. I guess we'll find out," he echoed his friend's words from earlier, both of them smiling as Roman finally walked away.

...

Jon groaned as his phone began to ring, interrupting the sleep that he'd finally fallen into.

"Whoever the fuck this is better have health insurance because you're not gonna like what I do to you!" he growled into the speaker.

He froze as the voice on the other end tentatively spoke up, "Guess I'm lucky I have a great plan then."

"What do you want?" Jon snapped back, not ready to make nice just yet.

"You," the simple proclamation hung in the air as Jon struggled to get air back into his lungs.


	2. Chapter 2

Grumbling to himself, Jon stumbled towards his hotel room, holding onto his sore back and glaring at everyone openly staring at him.

He'd much rather be on a plane getting the hell out of Jacksonville and heading back to his home in Vegas, but he'd known that his "I Quit Match" at Full Gear was going to be brutal. He and Eddie Kingston had torn the roof off the place, but his body was definitely feeling the pain now.

With a grunt, he awkwardly pushed open the door to his hotel room, determined to take a hot shower and crash.

"Fuck!" the loud exclamation made Jon freeze, the familiar baritone both warming his heart and stinging him all at once.

Over the last few weeks, after Seth's declaration on the phone, they'd been keeping in touch with little texts, short phone conversations and occasional photos, mostly on Seth's end since Jon still had no idea how half of the features on his phone worked.

They were both trying, but it had been awkward at best. 

Jon knew that Seth was truly sorry for going MIA on him and that he had to shoulder some of the responsibility for not reaching out himself, but there was still a part of him that was upset that it had been so easy for Seth to turn away from him again.

He winced as the whiny side of Seth's voice became more prominent as his boyfriend rushed to his side, grabbing his gear and championship belt, placing them to the side as he shut the door behind him and helped him into the room, forcefully sitting him down on the bed.

"I'll never understand why you willingly do this to yourself! Fuck baby: thumbtacks, alcohol and that goddamn barbed wire?!"

"You're one to talk babe, you seem to have a fascination with kendo sticks lately! What are you doing here anyways?"

Jon gasped as Seth began to pull off his shirt, rubbing against the cuts and scratches running up and down his back.

Shaking his head, Seth fell to his knees, leaning down to slide Dean's boots off and help him out of his pants, "Yeah, well at least I go and get myself checked out after a rough match. I'm betting your ass never made it anywhere near the trainer's office!"

Jon just shrugged, "Didn't need them," he muttered.

Seth glared at him as he stood up and grabbed onto Jon's side, helping him back to his feet as he drug him towards the bathroom where he'd already run a nice, hot bath and turned on the jacuzzi jets, "Get in!" he ordered.

Pouting, but not arguing, Jon did just that, settling in before sending a smirk up at his lover, "Are you going to lose the clothes and join me?"

Seth just glared back at him, "Not at the moment, no, I'm going to go get a bucket of ice to put on your back. I already grabbed some first aid stuff so I can put some ointment on those cuts and some bandages."

With that, he left the room, leaving Jon to sink down into the heat of the water, giving a blissful moan as the jetstream began to penetrate his sore back.

He hadn't been expecting him and he still wasn't sure how he felt about him being there, but he had to admit that this was a hell of a lot better than the quick shower he'd been planning on.

Giving a sigh, he let his eyes close, head laying back against the tub as he evaluated the situation. He'd accepted Seth's apology and had agreed to give their relationship another chance so there was no valid reason for him to be upset that Seth was here.

They were never going to make any progress if they were never in the same room together. It was time to stop hiding behind a phone and deal with things head on, but after the brutality of that match, he just wasn't sure he was ready to do that.

Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't hear Seth return until he heard his clothes hitting the floor.

Opening his eyes, he watched as his lover stepped into the tub, already moving forward to make a place for him behind him, both of them letting out a pleased sigh as Seth drew Jon back into his arms.

"I missed you," Seth whispered, tension radiating throughout his body as he waited for Jon's reaction.

"I missed you too asshole!" Jon grabbed his arms, settling them around his waist as he shared, "I think I'm still mad at you, but eventually we can move past that. Right now, I just need this, need some peace and quiet. Can we table any discussions until morning? You are staying aren't you?" he turned around to look back at him.

Seth nodded, "Yeah, I'm staying and take all the time you need; I'm not going anywhere D! I mean it when I said all I want or need is you. It's been that way since day one and that's never going to change!"

Melting at the use of Seth's personal nickname for him, Jon let himself drift off, content to let Seth spend the evening taking care of him. 

Things might not be perfect right now, far from it, but Seth was here and he was trying and when Dean had been the one in his spot, asking and needing his forgiveness, Seth had come through for him. Now it was his turn to return the favor.


	3. Chapter 3

As Seth stood in the entrance way of Gorilla, waiting for his music to play so he could take his place in the ring on the Smackdown Survivor Series' men's team, he could feel the nervousness rolling off of himself.

He couldn't quite believe he was really about to do this and even though he rarely took any time off, he was still surprised that Vince and Hunter had agreed.

As his Messiah music hit, he strolled his way down to the ring and got himself situated, staring blankly out into space as the others on his team, Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, Baron Corbin and Otis took turns battling against the RAW team of Sheamus, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, Matt Riddle and Keith Lee.

The others kept giving him strange, questioning glances, but he ignored them as he tried to get his breathing under control.

As Owens made Matt Riddle tag out, Seth leaned over and urged him to tag him in. Hesitant, he finally did as Seth stepped inside and faced off with Sheamus.

To everyone's surprise, he then dropped to his knees, egging Sheamus on to pin him for the greater good. Still uneasy, Sheamus finally did just that, eliminating him as the Smackdown team yelled obscenities at Seth for sacrificing himself and possibly costing them a victory.

Shrugging, he calmly rolled out of the ring and slowly walked back down the ramp and into the back where he ignored the looks coming his way from the backstage crew and quietly went to his locker room to grab his stuff.

Still in his wrestling gear, he stepped out into the parking lot, only to be confronted by a furious Roman, "What the fuck was that in there?" he asked angrily.

Seth shrugged, "What needed to be done for the greater good."

Grabbing onto his collar, Roman slammed him against the wall as he got up into his face, "You think the greater good is letting the Smackdown team be humiliated...my show's team?"

Laughing, Seth pushed him back, "First of all, don't let all of this head of the table, tribal chief stuff get to your head Uce! Yeah, you may be the top dog right now, but as soon as Vince gets a hard-on for some newer, bigger specimen, you'll be on the bottom of the ladder faster than your head can spin! Believe me, I know! Last year I was on top of the world and just months later, I was in a feud with Rey Mysterio and his family and no where near the title picture. I'm not saying that you don't need to do what you need to do to stay on top, I'm just saying don't let it cloud your judgement and blind you to what's really going on."

"And why would you care?" Roman huffed. "I thought maybe after our talk you did, but now, I'm not so sure!"

Seth shook his head, "Sometimes things aren't what they seem Uce. What happened out there wasn't about you, it wasn't about Smackdown, hell it wasn't even about the Messiah bullshit. I told you before that I wasn't sure any of it had helped at all. When I started all of this, it was with the idea that I could somehow change things, make things better, but nothing has really changed. The only thing I managed to do was get myself entangled in the family drama from hell and lose Jon. Tonight, tonight was just about fixing some of that."

Cocking his head at him, Roman's eyes scrutinized his carefully before nodding to himself, "And how is giving up going to do that?"

"I'm not giving up, just taking some time to regroup. You know, I was wondering if I was making the right decision, but I guess I should thank you because you made me realize that it definitely is," Seth shared. "Actually, I need to thank you for more than that. After our talk, I called Jon and even though he was pissed, he listened to what I had to say."

Roman shrugged, "I knew that you would work things out; you always do. He called me after that actually. We'd been doing a lot of texting, but it was nice to actually talk, you know? I thought he might be a little upset about the whole Tribal Chief thing, but he really seemed to get it. If anyone knows about resentment and being screwed over, it's D...Jon."

Seth laughed again, "Ain't that the damn truth! I went to see him, you know? He'd gotten himself hurt again and I was there to take care of him, but he's so damn stubborn. He kept trying to push me away, but eventually he let me in. We were able to talk about everything that went down and the mistakes we both made. All of us have gotten caught up in our individual bullshit, but at the end of the day Uce, we're brothers, bonded for life. Yeah, D and I are bonded in a different way, but it doesn't mean we love you any less Ro. You need anything, you come to us!"

Nodding, Roman asked, "Us? Does that mean this little regrouping time of yours is going to include Jon?"

Seth grinned, "Yeah," he said, voice softening as his eyes lit up. "He's dropping the belt in a couple of weeks and taking a little time off as well. We're renting a cabin out in the woods in Ohio somewhere. Some place he knows about. Until then, he's staying with me in Iowa."

Roman threw his head back in a deep belly laugh, "You're really letting him find you a cabin? Dude, you're a lot braver than I am!"

Seth grinned widely back at him, "Yeah, well, I figure it can't be any worse than the hotels he used to pick out for us back in the day!"

Roman just shook his head, still grinning, "I think it's a great idea Uce. You guys need some time alone with everything that's been going on. Does the old man and Hunter know why you're taking the time off?"

Seth nodded, "Yeah, I decided I was done hiding it. If they can't handle us being together then that's on them. I'm done denying what I feel."

Holding out his fist, Roman shared, "I'm proud of you Uce!"

Bumping his with his own, Seth shared, "Same here. Remember that some of us understand where you're coming from Big Dog and we get what you're trying to do."

Nodding, Roman responded, "I do. Say hi to D for me."

Looking up as a car screeched into the lot, Seth giggled as he shared, "You can do that yourself."

The driver side window of the car rolled down as Jon popped his head out, "Well, well, well, if it isn't The Messiah and The Tribal Chief!"

Not even hesitating, Roman fired back, "If it isn't The Street Dog, Jon Moxley!"

Stepping out into the lot, Roman bumped fists with Jon's before leaning in to give him a hug, "Missed you Uce!" he admitted.

Nodding, a bit sheepishly, Jon returned, "Same here. Sorry that I didn't put more effort in with both of you."

Shrugging, Roman admitted, "You tried harder than we did Uce. We've got our heads out of our asses now though, so when I call, you better answer!"

Jon nodded, "That's a promise."

"Listen, take care of this one alright," Roman demanded, gesturing towards Seth. "I need him in top shape when he returns. One way or another, we're crossing paths soon."

Jon grinned widely as he winked at him, blowing a obnoxious bubble with his gum as he shared, "Can I at least rough him up a little bit?"

Shrugging, Roman responded, "No skin off my back!" as Seth punched him in the shoulder.

"Assholes," Seth muttered as he turned to throw his bag in the back seat and then made his way around to the passenger seat, sliding in with a sulk that made both Roman and Jon laugh.

"See ya Big Dog!" Jon shared with another grin.

"See ya D!" Roman responded before leaning forward to shout to Seth, "The same goes for you Uce! Take care of this one. Lord knows he needs a keeper!"

Walking away whistling to himself, Roman grinned. Things were different sure, but some things, some things never changed.


	4. Chapter 4

"She's a beaut, isn't she?" Jon beamed at him as Seth took in the rundown property before him. 

He clamped down on the words that threatened to leave his lips, not wanting to upset his boyfriend. He had left it up to him to secure their accommodations for this vacation and he didn't want to hurt his feelings, "Wow, it's um, it's great!"

Jon rolled his eyes, "You don't have to lie to me your highness! I know it doesn't hold up to your strong standards, but once you see the inside, I swear you're going to love it!"

Seth bristled at the dig, "I can rough it!" he swore, making Jon guffaw at him, holding his stomach as Seth reached out to kick him. "Haha, very funny! Just show me the rest asshole!"

Still laughing, Jon grabbed his hand while hoisting their bags with his other as he pulled him to the front porch and then inside the door.

As he looked around, Seth had to admit that the place had a certain charm to it. It was small and cozy and the enormous fireplace taking up most of the living room area should be more than enough to keep them warm.

There was a tiny kitchen area and a door to what must be the bedroom. He tugged Jon forward with him as soon as he'd dropped their luggage.

Opening the door, they stood there in the doorway taking in the rustic bedroom setting, a rocking chair in the corner, a small tv placed on the top of a dresser in front of the bed and another small fireplace to the side of it.

Nodding, Seth squeezed Jon's hand, "Okay D, I have to admit, I can work with this."

Jon grinned as he let go and took a running leap, throwing himself onto the middle of the bed onto his back, bouncing as he spread his arms wide, "I'm all yours babe!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Seth casually strolled over to the bed as he stated, "You're insane, you know this right?"

Jon shrugged, "No more insane than you loving me!" he retorted.

"Okay, okay, we're both a little crazy," Seth agreed as he crawled onto the bed, slowly straddling his lover. As he looked down at him, his voice softened as he shared, "Thank you for giving me another chance and for this. I love you."

Seth's heart skipped a beat as Jon's smirk fell off his face to be replaced by the sweetest smile he'd ever been on the receiving end of. It always amazed him that this rough and tumble, raised on the streets, sarcastic asshole had this whole other side to him that only Seth, and occasionally Roman, were treated to.

Reaching up, Jon cupped his face as he mumbled, "Don't need to thank me for that. I forgive you and you forgive me; s'what we do," he pulled Seth down, burying his face against his neck as he whispered, "Love ya too you dick!"

Laughing, Seth dug his hands into his sides, tickling him as he tried to squirm away, "Speaking of dicks..."

Jon groaned, "That was so bad babe; I know you can do better!" using his weight advantage, he flipped the two over so he was now looking down at Seth's amused face. "Wanna ride ya," he thrust his crotch against Seth's own, making their cocks both jump with anticipation.

Reaching up, Seth brought him down for a kiss before letting go and sliding up against the headboard, holding his hands out to him as he ordered, "Well, get on with it!"

Jon just glared at him, before leaning back and beginning to digest himself of his clothing, "Just get yourself fucking ready for me!" he snarled back.

Seth was tempted to hold out just to annoy him, but as he saw the line of muscle and skin being exposed to him, he decided he could find another time to do that. Right now, he just wanted to reconnect with his lover in the best way possible.

Sitting up for a moment, he kicked off his shoes and wiggled out of his pants before tossing off his shirt. Before he could reach back down, Jon had already joined him on the bed again and was sliding his underwear and socks off of him.

Mere moments later, they'd lubed up and Jon was bracing himself on Seth's chest as he lowered himself down to Seth's pulsing cock. 

By the time his tip was breaching Jon's ass, they were both moaning in satisfaction.

...

Later that evening, after they'd thrown together a quick dinner, they were curled up back in bed, fireplace going and a movie playing on the tv.

Jon's hands were stroking through Seth's hair as his mind raced. A couple of months ago, he'd believed that this feeling of contentment was behind him, that he'd never have Seth in his arms again, but here they were.

"Penny for your thoughts," Seth teased.

Blinking up at him, Jon asked, "Huh?"

Seth shrugged, "You seem a million miles away. Just wondering what's weighing on that complicated brain of yours."

Taking a deep breath, Jon decided to go with the truth, "Just thinking about how I almost lost you; lost this. I've never really had good things in my life for very long."

Seth sighed with regret, "I know and I've unfortunately perpetuated that for you more than once over the years, haven't I?"

Jon gave a sigh of his own, sitting up a bit so he could look him in the eye, "Maybe, but you're also the only one who has ever come back and kept trying. I know my leaving hurt you and I know that I was just as much at fault for our radio silence this year as you were."

Seth shook his head, "No D, don't do that! I knew that you were leaving because you had to and you did everything in your grasp to make sure that I knew you weren't leaving me behind. I'm the one who let myself fall off of the tracks again. I let all the hostility from the crowd and the digs that Hunter and everyone kept whispering in my ear get to me. I got so caught up in being the savior of RAW that I forgot about my own salvation. You've saved me from myself time and time again baby and without you around to do that, I was floundering."

Jon leaned over, laying a kiss on his cheek, "Yeah, well it's the same for me babe. You are my anchor and even when you were running from me, I had to stay close. Any normal person would have let it go and moved on, but I just kept coming at you because it was the only way I could hold on to my sanity. When I tried to let you go once and for all, you saw what happened. I completely lost it and myself. If you hadn't have left the door open the way you did, I'm not sure where I'd be right now."

Seth shivered, "I don't want to think about us being apart anymore! Can we just agree that if, in the future, either of us has the urge to run away again that we'll tell the other one and give us a chance to fix it?"

Jon nodded, "I can do that," he agreed.

Seth grinned up at him, "Good! Now, can we finally put this behind us and just enjoy this time we have together?"

Jon grinned back, "Sure, but this movie kind of sucks. I say we hit the hay early because we've got a busy day tomorrow."

"We do?" Seth asked suspiciously.

Jon beamed at him, "Yep! Last year, you showed me your holiday traditions so this year, I want to share mine!"

Seth's eyes widened, "You have holiday traditions? I didn't think you celebrated before Roman roped you into his family stuff."

Jon shrugged, "Just because we didn't really celebrate in my house growing up doesn't mean that I didn't do some things for myself when I got out on my own!"

Seth gulped, but went ahead and said it anyway, "Alright, I look forward to learning all about your traditions D."

He was rewarded with a armful of his lover once again as Jon snuggled into him, grabbing the remote and turning off the tv as Seth reached up and turned off the light.

As he felt Jon begin to snore in his arms, Seth found himself laying there staring up at the moonlight glinting off of the ceiling above him.

What the fuck had he gotten himself into?!


	5. Chapter 5

He may have spent the night trying to figure out just what Jon's "traditions" could be, but he hadn't been prepared to be dragged out of bed early out into the cold where a light snow was beginning to fall.

Reluctantly trudging behind his lover, Seth asked yet again, "Where are we going exactly and do you even know where we are or how to get back to the cabin?"

Turning around, Jon continued to walk backwards as he gave him a wink, "Of course I do! I've actually stayed at this place by myself before. I was just lucky enough that it was available for us when I checked."

Seth frowned, "You came out here by yourself?" he asked skeptically.

Jon rolled his eyes at him before turning around and throwing back, "What, you don't think I can handle doing things on my own? You know, I took care of myself just fine before I even met you and Ro!"

Stung, Seth moved a bit quicker so he could make his way up to his side, reaching out and pulling him against his side as he shared, "That wasn't what I meant asshole! I just would never have imagined you wanting to be out in the woods alone. I mean, I can picture you taking time off to hang out at home in Vegas with a six pack and some old wrestling tapes."

Jon tried, but failed to hide his snort, "You're not wrong," he admitted. "Every once in awhile though, I liked to get away from everyone and everything and clear my head. I actually spent a month here after you put my head through the cinder blocks."

Seth flinched at the mention of one of the low points of his life, "D, I'm..." he jumped as Jon's gloved hand covered his mouth, effectively cutting him off.

"We're done with the apologies! What happened in the past stays there, alright?"

Seth nodded as Jon's hand left his mouth, "You still haven't told me where we're going!" he quickly changed the subject.

Jon just threw him another shit-eating grin, "Patience Princess!" he teased, making Seth blush.

As they reached a clearing, Seth could suddenly make out movement on the other side of the trees. Grinning, Jon turned to him and swept his arms wide, "We're here," he declared.

Striding forward, Seth laughed as he saw the sign for the tree lot. Turning to his pleased-with-himself lover, he asked, "Are we even allowed to have a tree in there?"

Jon shrugged, "We'll make sure it's properly disposed of before we leave."

Looking at him speculatively, Seth asked, "And this is something you normally do?"

Jon nodded, "Yeah, I mean at least when I haven't been at your or Ro's house for the holidays. I like to go and pick out the scrawniest tree that I can find and give it a temporary home."

"So you like to Charlie Brown your tree purchasing?" Seth teased.

"Not it's fault that it was born smaller or thinner than the rest!" Jon muttered, making Seth grin and impulsively stride forward to pull him in for a kiss, moving their scarves to the side as he whispered, "I love you!"

Pleased, Jon returned the favor before pushing him away, "Alright, stop distracting me! We need to go find a tree to rescue."

...

"You know, we could have just driven up here," Seth grumbled, stumbling a bit in the snow that was getting heavier as they made the walk back to the cabin with him at the back of the tree and Jon up at the front.

"If you'd spend more time concentrating on walking instead of complaining, we'd already be back in front of the fire!" Jon threw back, making Seth make a face at him since he couldn't stick out his tongue or give him the finger.

Seth was just grateful that Dean had picked one of the smallest trees on the lot. Shaking his head fondly, he followed Jon's advice and concentrated on his feet, the rest of the trip flying by as he kept himself distracted.

Before he knew it, they were in the entry way of the cabin, shaking off the snow and stomping their feet after propping the tree up against the wall.

Once they'd dispatched of their multiple layers of clothing, Jon moved to get the fire going as Seth moved the tree into the room before going back to grab the tree stand they'd picked up at the lot.

"I love the idea of having a tree, but it's going to be a bit strange without any decorations, " Seth mused as he got the tree set up into the stand.

Dean laughed as he stood up and moved to open the nearby closet, revealing not only a collection of board games and blankets, but also a pile of boxes he had placed there before he'd gone to pick up Seth.

Seth watched in bemusement as Dean carried the boxes over to him and set them down with a flourish, "Everything we need should be in there!" he declared.

Not even bothering to question it, Seth got to work opening the boxes, finding a collection of ornaments they'd both contributed over the years.

He paused as he brought out the "First Christmas" ornament they'd gotten the year they had finally admitted their feelings for one another. 

He'd continued to hang the ornament on his own tree after he'd betrayed them, but having Dean back the previous year had meant everything to him and hanging the ornament back where it belonged together was a memory he would treasure forever.

Grinning, he stood up, turning to find Jon standing right behind him, smiling softly at him. He immediately held his hand out to him as Jon clasped it and turned to the tree, the pair placing the ornament at the front.

Clasped in Jon's arms, Seth leaned back to look at their work before looking back up at him, "When did you get the stuff from my house?"

Jon grinned, "I had to do something with the extra days I had off before I could come get you," he shrugged, "I stopped in at both of our houses and gathered anything I thought we'd need for our time here. I came up here yesterday and dropped it all off before I headed back out to pick you up."

Seth laughed, "Well, it was a really nice surprise!" He leaned up to kiss him before moving away and back to pulling out their ornaments.

He paused when he came across a couple of ornaments with their names on them. He raised at eyebrow at his lover as he held out the Bigfoot ornament with Dean engraved on it.

Jon laughed at his expression, "Babe, I already told you both that I don't mind if that's what you want to call me. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I didn't hear "D" anymore. It's as much a part of me as my actual name is. And that ornament is just a reflection of that."

He turned to hang it as Seth leaned over and hung up his engraved Crossfit ornament right next to it.

They continued to make their way through the boxes before Seth found some garland and some icicles, which helped them hide how sparse the branches on the tree were.

The tree was small enough that Seth was easily able to reach the top and set the angel tree top that his mom had gifted him on his first Christmas on his own.

Satisfied, the pair grinned at their work before cuddling up in front of the fireplace.

"I like this tradition, but I'm still curious about what Jonathan "Dean Ambrose" Moxley Good gets up to on his own," Seth teased.

Jon poked him before sharing, "Don't think I don't know how frightened you were this morning!"

Seth shrugged, "D, you've got to admit that you've got some crazy ideas sometimes!"

"Yeah, I'm in love with you!" he returned, ducking the fist that Seth threw at him.

Seth giggled as Jon bit at his fingers before releasing them and pulling back against him as he muttered, "I've never been a big Thanksgiving guy, but Christmas Eve I make the Jon Good special of drinks and sit down to watch all those cheesy Christmas movies that made me mad as a kid. I always thought the holiday was a sham because I never had anything that resembled any of those families in those shows. Then I met you and Ro and I started to appreciate those little things, even if I didn't understand all of them."

Seth's laugh moved into Waluigi territory as he squeezed out, "I remember that first time Ro had us over to his house and all thousand of his family members started showing up and they all wanted to hug you!"

Jon shrugged, "People scare me," he stated with such seriousness that it set Seth off all over again, rolling out of his arms and onto the floor, hands holding his chest as he wheezed, "Stop, you're killing me!"

Jon just kicked him before standing up and moving over to one of the other boxes and pulling out a large straw figure that he then turned around to present to his hysterical lover, whose eyes widened in terror.

"Seriously?" he gasped.

Jon shrugged, "Krampus is a holiday staple!"

Seth just shook his head as he looked at the ugly concoction. He could see why they'd made those horror movies. If he had to look at that all the time, he'd be running for his life too!

Seth leaned over and pulled out the yule log he'd seen earlier, "I think I like this better."

Jon rolled his eyes, "You would," he muttered, turning around to set up Krampus in the corner of the room.

While his back was turned, Seth grabbed onto another thing he'd seen earlier, quickly setting it up before calling over to his boyfriend, "Hey D, what do you think?"

Jon looked over to find that he'd hung up a twig of mistletoe in the doorway. Tilting his head contemplatively, he responded, "If I'm not mistaken, I brought enough of those that we can make sure they are hung up in every doorway of this place."

Seth beamed at him, "Might as well break them all in then!"

Jon nodded, face serious as he answered, "You're right, we should do that," he'd barely finished the sentence before he was up and across the room, Seth's body lifted up and against the wall as he took his lips in a violent kiss that left them both gasping for air.

Throwing him over his shoulder, Jon leaned down to pick up the box holding the rest of the mistletoe he'd bought for the occasion, "We better get to work!" he declared, laying a smack to a giggling Seth's ass as he moved them out to the next room.


End file.
